


Ep. 2: To Catch A Traitor, Pt. 2

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: Transformers: Nexus [4]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Climax Approaching, Gen, Missing, Robotic Gorn, Swords, Traitor On Board, Weaving the Web, the allspark - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 22:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18291854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: While Longarm Prime and Optimus play a game of cat-and-mouse, Wheeljack and friends are confronted with a terrifying loss.





	Ep. 2: To Catch A Traitor, Pt. 2

'Sir…'

 

 

Longarm feigned surprise.

 

 

 

'Are you sure that I’m worthy of such an honor!?

 

I only just got here after all…'

 

 

 

Optimus’ optics betrayed no signs of what he was certain was a bald-faced lie.

 

 

A mere lure to bring the lurking Decepticon out of hiding.

 

 

 

'Absolutely!

 

I saw your credentials when you first made it known to us that you wished to become a fellow Autobot.

 

 

They were quite impressive'.

 

 

 

…Mm.

 

An interesting maneuver.

 

 

Deliberately withholding such information in order to better make him betray himself-

 

 

 

_Perhaps Megatron underestimated him after all._

 

 

 

 

**Would he fall for it?**

 

 

That was the real question here…

 

 

 

_It seems unlikely-_

 

 

 

Yet.

 

 

 

'Impressive…'

 

 

 

The ‘Autobot’ lowered his gaze.

 

 

 

'I wouldn’t say that…I only did what I felt was right, and nothing more'.

 

 

 

A neutral response…

 

 

Hm.

 

 

 

 

'Well, I still commend you nonetheless'.

 

 

 

His memory rewound to one achievement of note in particular-

 

 

 

'Not many of us would be willing to save the life of an enemy Decepticon'.

 

 

 

'...Is that so?'

 

'Yes, unfortunately'.

 

 

A dark cloud passed over his features.

 

 

'Seems quite contrary to what we stand for, but it’s...not my place to criticize'.

 

 

Longarm nodded carefully.

 

 

'Yes, sir'.

 

 

'Anyhow'.

 

He brought the topic back to the issue at hand:

 

 

'If you would please guard this item with your life-'

 

 

'Of course'.

 

 

'Good'.

 

 

 

 

The Autobot leader re-latched, and re-sequestered away the secret cargo.

 

 

 

'When the next twenty kliks have passed, I must abandon my post for a time'.

 

 

'-And you want me to take over then?'

 

 

 

'Yes'.

 

 

 

His blue optics glittered with that fatherly sparkle he was most known for.

 

 

 

'Although I’m certain nothing untoward will occur, it always pays to be cautious...'

 

 

 

'Understood'.

 

 

 

 

_You fool._

 

 

_You have no idea what you have just done._

 

 

-

 

 

 

As soon as he’d stepped out of the room, Optimus let out a weary sigh.

 

 

 

_...Thank goodness I didn’t screw that up._

 

 

Even if Longarm had an inkling as to what he’d been planning, the Autobot leader was confident that he would show up at the appointed time regardless.

 

 

 

_Megatron will want to see it for himself before retrieval, I’d wager..._

 

 

 

Now all that was left for him to do was wait.

 

 

 

 

And watch what went on from the state-of-the-art lenses of Ratchet’s security system.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

'Hey, has anybody seen Drift?'

 

 

 

Wheeljack strode into the control room, sensors sparking with worry.

 

 

'No'.

 

 

Ironhide spun in his chair to face him.

 

 

'I haven’t, either'.

 

 

Jazz added.

 

 

'What’s up?'

 

 

'Oh slag-'

 

 

'Hey, now!'

 

 

The usually laid-back warrior waggled a finger at him in mock-disapproval.

 

 

'There might be little proto-forms reading this somewhere...'

 

 

 

His comrade-in-arms looked confused.

 

 

'What?'

 

 

'Don’t worry about it, it’s an inside joke'.

 

 

'Well, I’m sure as H* not gonna stop worrying about him!'

 

 

The Autobot hurried out of there at a speed that could’ve matched Blurr’s.

 

 

'You guys have _got_ to see this-'

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

'Oh my slag'.

 

 

In his shock, he repeated the insult word-for-word.

 

 

 

**Energon.**

 

 

 

 

 

_All_ over the back-right corner of the engine room.

 

 

 

 

'...Ugh, that is nasty!'

 

 

 

Ironhide looked repulsed by the gruesome sight!

 

 

 

'You sure this is his?'

 

 

'Can’t think of anybody’s else’s...'

 

 

'But what would he be doing down here to begin with?'

 

 

 

He’d never seen the guy visit this area before in his life!

 

 

 

'I dunno'.

 

 

 

Wheeljack shook his head.

 

 

 

'I wouldn’t have even thought of it as his if I hadn’t found _this_ \--'

 

 

 

He reached into a deep crack in the wall-

 

 

And withdrew a massive, dual-bladed katana.

 

 

 

 

The _damage_ it had undergone...

 

 

 

“Whoa!”

 

 

 

Ironhide gasped at the numerous fissures and staining.

 

 

 

“What-who could have-!?”

 

 

 

“Beats me, kid”.

 

 

 

 

Beats me.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

They searched for a body, but couldn’t find one anywhere!

 

 

It was as if the enormous, hulking soldier had magically disappeared off the face of the ship.

 

 

 

'This is nuts!'

 

 

 

Wheeljack stopped sorting through the various work stations, and put his hands upon his hips.

 

 

 

'How does Mr. Tall, Dark, and Snarky manage to vanish into thin air!?'

 

 

 

Ironhide shuddered at the mess he’d left behind.

 

 

 

'Not to mention in such an injured state-'

 

 

'I don’t know, but we need to tell Optimus Prime about this ASAP!'

 

 

 

Jazz was adamant.

 

 

 

 

’Cause whoever did it could still be here'.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

'Everything powered on and running?'

 

 

Ratchet looked up from his infinitely-flashing console of each room and dock aboard ship.

 

 

 

'Should be'.

 

 

 

The anticipation in the air was palpable.

 

 

 

'You set him up with the bait?'

 

‘Yes’.

 

 

He noticed the normally-unflappable Autobot leader brush something off of his breastplate.

 

 

 

'Good...'

 

 

 

He seemed...out-of-it.

 

 

 

'You okay, sir?'

 

'-Hm?'

 

 

 

A flicker of emotion beneath sky-blue optics, but it was gone as soon as it’d appeared.

 

 

 

'...You look kinda...pale...'

 

'...It’s been a hard day'.

 

'Yeah?'

 

...

 

 

'Yeah'.

 

 

He dropped all pretense of formality with a smile.

 

The two of them had been best friends long before the Cybertronian Conflict.

 

No bad blood, no fights, no secrets.

 

 

Not a one.

 

 

 

'When did you tell him to take over?'

 

'Soon'.

 

'Excellent'.

 

 

 

He moved to adjust the settings of the camera system he’d spent most of his life making.

 

 

A still image of the Cargo Area now filled the entire screen.

 

 

 

'That rat won’t know what hit him'.

 

 

-

 

 

 

He knew it as soon as his processors were back online.

 

His memory core had been de **stroyed.**

 

 

Lost in a floating black expanse, the robot could not and did not try to recall any details of how he had gotten to this point.

 

 

It would do him no good...

 

 

 

 

The ground rushed up to meet him, and he was out within seconds.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Megatron could hardly wait for the moment of truth.

 

 

‘Approachin’ twenty mega-clicks Boss!’

 

‘Don’t call him ‘boss’, he’ll get mad!’

 

‘Well what am I supposed to call him, then?

‘Esteemed leader’, like that Sentinel chassis!?’

 

 

‘Will you two stop that!?’

 

 

 

Cyclonus and Demolisher’s constant bickering from the cockpit was beginning to grate on his nerves.

 

 

 

‘The time is nearly here as you said.

So be ready to _receive_ at our operative’s signal’.

 

 

‘Will do Boss!’

‘What he said...’

 

 

He sighed.

 

 

 

_These two **idiots** are going to be the end of me._

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

Longarm crossed over the threshold of the room that held the Allspark.

 

 

He pressed a button on his portable communicator outfitted by Soundwave-

 

 

 

 

‘I’m in’.

**Author's Note:**

> Had a huge brain block for this one, but here it is now, and I hope you all will enjoy!!


End file.
